[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 246 (Thursday, December 22, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 79648-79649]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-32799]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request--Understanding the Rates, Causes, and Costs of Churning 
in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment 
on this proposed information collection. This collection is a new 
collection for research on the rates, causes, and costs of churning in 
SNAP.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before February 21, 
2012.

ADDRESSES: Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection 
of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions 
of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions that were used; (c) ways to enhance the 
quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and 
(d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
those who are to respond, including use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology.
    Comments may be sent to: Steven Carlson, Office of Research and 
Analysis, Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 
3101 Park Center Drive, Room 1014, Alexandria, VA 22302. Comments may 
also be submitted via fax to the attention of Steven Carlson at (703) 
305-2576 or via email to [email protected]. Comments will also 
be accepted through the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Go to http://www.regulations.gov, and follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments electronically.
    All written comments will be open for public inspection at the 
office of the Food and Nutrition Service during regular business hours 
(8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday) at 3101 Park Center Drive, 
Room 1014, Alexandria, Virginia 22302.
    All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
request for Office of Management and Budget approval. All comments will 
be a matter of public record.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of this information collection should be directed to Steven 
Carlson at (703) 305-2017. Information requests submitted through email 
should refer to the title of this proposed collection and/or the OMB 
approval number in the subject line.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Understanding the Rates, Causes, and Costs of Churning in 
SNAP.
    Form Number: [If applicable, insert number].
    OMB Number: 0584-NEW.
    Expiration Date: [Insert date or Not Yet Determined].
    Type of Request: New collection.
    Abstract: The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, 
formerly known as the Food Stamp Program) is the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture's (USDA's) largest nutrition program, enabling millions of 
low-income Americans to purchase groceries. It served an average of 
40.3 million people per month in Fiscal Year 2010, growing from 17.1 
million in Fiscal Year 2000.
    The program is designed to respond to broad economic and individual 
circumstances as they change over time. For this reason, households 
move on and off the program as they become benefit-eligible and then 
lose eligibility because of changing income and household 
circumstances. A new job, a reduction in work hours, the addition of a 
household member, someone moving out, or other changes in household 
income or composition can affect eligibility and lead naturally to 
program entry and exit.
    There are also times, however, when households leave the program 
despite remaining eligible. Eligible households not receiving SNAP 
benefits are of concern to the program because of their reduced access 
to nutritious foods.
    The Office of Research and Analysis (ORA) in USDA's Food and 
Nutrition Service (FNS) has undertaken a study on the causes and costs 
of churning in SNAP. Churning occurs when a SNAP participant leaves the 
program and returns within a short period of time, defined here as four 
months or less. Churning is a policy concern because of its presumed 
adverse effects on participants and on the administering agencies. When 
churn occurs, agency staff must re-collect paperwork and re-complete 
the application process for households whose eligibility may not have 
changed since they left the program and who thus may have incurred a 
loss of benefits. The study seeks to better understand (1) the rates 
and patterns of churning; (2) why participants churn; (3) what happens 
administratively when a participant returns to SNAP after a brief spell 
of non-receipt, and (4) the costs of churn to both programs and 
participants.
    The study includes a quantitative research component involving the 
use of administrative data in six states and a qualitative research 
component involving on-site staff interviews and participant focus 
groups in six study sites. At each of the six sites, hour-long semi-
structured interviews will be conducted with state and local SNAP 
administrators, SNAP caseworkers, and directors of community-based 
organizations involved with SNAP outreach. Also at each site, two focus 
groups will be conducted with SNAP participants who have experienced 
churn. Each group will consist of five individuals and will last one 
hour. Recruitment for each focus group will require three-minute 
telephone calls to ten individuals.
    Affected Public: (State, Local, Tribal Government, Business (Not-
for-Profit), Individual/Households).
    Respondent groups identified include: (1) SNAP administrators; (2) 
SNAP caseworkers; (3) directors of

[[Page 79649]]

community-based organizations; (4) SNAP participants--attempted focus 
groups; and (5) SNAP participants--completed focus groups.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: The total estimated number of 
respondents is 234. This includes: (1) 12 SNAP administrators; (2) 30 
SNAP caseworkers; (3) 12 directors of community-based organizations; 
(4) 180 SNAP participants recruited (120 SNAP participants--attempted 
focus groups; and (5) 60 SNAP participants--completed focus groups.)
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: Each respondent will 
be asked to participate in one interview, telephone call, or focus 
group.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 234.
    Estimated Time per Response: 38.5 minutes (0.64 hours). The 
estimated time of response varies from 3 minutes to 60 minutes 
depending on the respondent group, as shown in the table below.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 7,380 minutes (123 
hours). See the table below for estimated total annual burden for each 
type of respondent.

                                                                    Reporting Burden
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                                                                                                                    (e)  Est.
                                                                                                                      total
                                                                                         (c)  Number      (d)         annual     (f)  Hours   (g)  Total
         (a)  Affected public              Respondent type       (b) Survey instruments                Frequency    responses       per         burden
                                                                                         respondents  of response      per        response    hours (e x
                                                                                                                    respondent                    f)
                                                                                                                     (c x d)
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State, Local and Tribal Agencies.....  SNAP Administrators....  interview..............        12.00         1.00        12.00         1.00        12.00
                                       SNAP Caseworkers.......  interview..............        30.00         1.00        30.00         1.00        30.00
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    Subtotal.........................  .......................  .......................        42.00         1.00        42     ...........        42.00
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Individuals & Households.............  SNAP Participants......  Recruited--Declined....       120.00         1.00       120.00         0.05         6.00
                                       .......................  Recruited--Accepted....        60            1.00        60            0.05         3.00
                                       .......................  Focus Group............        60.00         1.00        60.00         1           60
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    Subtotal.........................  .......................  .......................       180.00         1.00       180.00        --           69.00
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Business (not-for-profit)............  Directors of community-  interview..............        12.00         1.00        12.00         1.00        12.00
                                        based organizations.
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    1Grand Total.....................  .......................  .......................       234.00  ...........       234.00  ...........       123.00
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    December 15, 2011.
Audrey Rowe,
Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-32799 Filed 12-21-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P